Australia and the South Pacific: the superyacht roadshow!
In September, Ocean Alliance’s Charter Experience Manager, Laurie Foulon, embarked on a tour of the South of France meeting up with other MYBA accredited agents to promote Australia and the yachts delivering charters in the Antipodean destination.
Over six days, Laurie held successive meetings with brokers in the leading brokerage houses, including Burgess, Fraser Yachts, Edmiston, Y.CO, Ocean Independence, CharterWorld, Northrop & Johnson, and IYC armed with virtual reality headsets, suggested itineraries, video and yacht specifications enlighten and inspire her colleagues.
“Many of the charter brokers and managers in the Mediterranean have not experienced Australia or the South Pacific for themselves. So, it is important for Ocean Alliance to give them a sense of what their clients will discover. Through the support of Tourism Australia, I was able to take virtual reality headsets of the Great Barrier Reef and other key Australian destinations. Needless to say, the virtual experience was very well received,” said Ms Foulon.
“It is a wonderful partnership we have with the yacht charter industry in Australia. From the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to the mountains of the Tasmanian Wilderness and across to the rugged and untouched coastline of Western Australia, Australia offers an exciting, invigorating and diverse range of experiences for superyacht clients to explore. Luxury lodges, premium wineries, guided walks, fishing adventures, wildlife journeys, golf holidays and Aboriginal guided experiences coupled with our friendly people and relaxed culture, make Australia a highly desirable destination,” stated Karen Fitzgerald, Global Manager Experiences for Tourism Australia.
The brokers truly appreciated the hours dedicated to inspiring them, and many commented that no other MYBA Central Agents had taken this initiative ever before. Introducing them to new destinations is a way of refreshing their value offering for clients, empowering them to become proactive charter brokers. Outside of Australia, a chart of the South Pacific enabled discussion on cruising areas from Western Australia to French Polynesia, best seasons to cruise, applicable taxes, and Captains personal recommendations.
“We have been working very successfully with Ocean Alliance for several years now, and value their expert local knowledge and professional approach. It was a pleasure to meet with Laurie once again and catch up on all the latest on their fleet and the great up and coming yachting destination that is Australasia. Her knowledge and passion for her product is extremely helpful to us, making sure we offer our clients only the very best experiences and can always count on solid local support.” Nicolas Benazeth, Charter Broker, Charterworld.
“Australia and the South Pacific have, to a certain degree, been the great unknown. Yet as the fleet grows in size and we can now place our business with MYBA accredited charter management brokers located in this market. Charter clients will benefit from that combined expertise and relationships based on reliability and trust. Ultimately, it would be reasonable to expect a higher level of interest in these exciting destinations.” Gaye Joyeau-Bourgeois, Charter Director, BURGESS.
As Australia’s largest MYBA accredited brokerage house, Ocean Alliance represents the leading superyachts available for commercial charter in Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia and the South Pacific. The team has been busy, having added four additional yachts to their central agency in the last 12 months so it was only logical to personally present them to the European market.
“We are part of a global network of professionals and we best serve our clients by being integrated with it. These connections mean a client benefits from the experience of the best professionals, no matter where they are chartering and have confidence in a proven system” explained Ocean Alliance’s Managing Director, Joachim Howard.
Joachim will be himself in Monaco for the upcoming yacht show and their colleague, Mark Patterson, will be in France in February to complete the training and accreditation for MYBA.
For a copy of the presentation and details on the destinations / charter fleet, please contact Laurie Foulon via email: laurie@oceanalliance.com.au.
Based in Sydney, Ocean Alliance specialises in superyacht charter, management and brokerage with extensive experience in both the Australian and international markets.
Ocean Alliance is a proud MYBA corporate member and accredited with the global association of Superyacht brokers and managers as well as an active corporate member of Superyacht Australia sitting on the national committee.
A company striving to deliver the industry’s best practice, professional service and exceptional standards whilst based in an emerging superyacht destination.